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At A&M-Commerce, you will become a member of our physics teacher and broader STEM teacher community consisting of future and current teachers. We offer two routes to physics teacher preparation. The route that is best for you depends on where you are on your educational journey.
If you have not yet earned a bachelor’s degree or would like to earn a second bachelor’s degree, enroll in the B.S. in Physics with Teaching Emphasis program.
If you have already earned your bachelor’s degree, you can enroll in our Alternative Certification program. To strengthen your physics knowledge at the same time, you may concurrently enroll in our M.S. in Physics with Teaching Emphasis program.
(On Campus)
(Only Offered Online)
(Only Offered Online)
This four-year program provides you with expertise in physics and physics pedagogy along with a community of physics teachers that will support you throughout your career. Earn either 7-12 Physical Science certification or 7-12 Physics/Math certification.
All future STEM teachers at A&M-Commerce are eligible to apply for the Noyce Scholarship program. Your final two years of school, you will earn up to $11,500 in scholarship funds, which is generally enough to cover tuition. You will also have the opportunity to conduct physics education research and attend national conferences.
Our alternative certification program and M.S. in Physics with Teaching Emphasis programs are both offered fully online. Courses are asynchronous so that you can complete them on your schedule.
You can earn either 7-12 Physics/Math or 7-12 Physical Science certification through this 1-2 year program. Time requirements depend on how many courses you take per semester and how you do your student teaching.
16-week unpaid student teaching or 1-year paid internship: While teaching, you will take EDCI 515 where you will reflect on your teaching experiences. The university can arrange student teaching, or you can find a 1-year paid teaching position.
Before applying to the Alternative Certification program, complete the TExES content test in physics. This will allow you to certify in either 7-12 Physics/Math or 7-12 Physical Science. If you do not yet have sufficient content knowledge, we encourage you to enroll in the M.S. Physics with Teaching Emphasis first.
This two-year program will deepen your content knowledge and expand your understanding of what it means to know physics. In addition to learning traditional physics content, you will learn about the history of physics and modern research applications. Most importantly, you will read articles from the physics education research literature and gain physics pedagogical content knowledge. This program satisfies the requirements of accreditation agencies to teach at the community college level, including in dual credit programs.
PHYS 526 Quantum Mechanics: Analysis and Applications
PHYS 530 Mathematical Methods: Analysis and Applications
PHYS 531 Classical Mechanics: Analysis and Applications
PHYS 532 Electromagnetism: Analysis and Applications
PHYS 535 Thermodynamics: Analysis and Applications
PHYS 561 Astronomy and Astrophysics: Analysis and Applications
PHYS 536 Computational Physics: Analysis and Applications
PHYS 595 Research Literature and Techniques
12 credit hours of electives in other STEM fields or education
Each of our courses involve active discussion boards connecting current and future high school physics teachers from around the world. This provides ongoing community support to learn the content collaboratively and have wonderful discussions around integration of the newly learned content into the educators’ own classrooms. Approximately 30 students are enrolled in each course at a time, and students form a tight-knit community.
Combine this program with the Alternative Certification program to become the best physics teacher you can be!
Associate Professor
Department of Physics & Astronomy
Associate Professor
Department of Physics & Astronomy
Assistant Department Head and Associate Professor
Department of Curriculum & Instruction
Director of LeoTeach
Department of Curriculum & Instruction
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